Science for 7th grade

[bethben]

I am homeschooling again because Covid is messing up any stability in the public school.  My 7th grade dd likes reading about nature —mostly animals.  I have some Apologia animal books (Zoology) laying around and am wondering if that would be enough.  I also have apologia General Science but am concerned that will be too much.  She had a pretty easy science in public school last year.  I’m thinking I may return her to public school for 8th or 9th grade and know they have a full program with the huge biology textbook so I do want her to be prepared.  

So, I’m looking at making it easier and doing a couple of the Apologia zoology books Or going a little slower with Apologia General science.  Or....other suggestions?  

[bethben]

3 hours ago, OKBud said:

Enough is subjective, but definitely people have done this and felt it was successful. 

I went with Memoria Press Science. The do stuff on their own for fun, but sit down school time, they did MP. It's been a huge success. My oldest has moved on but his little brother, a very different sort of student, is still in it and it's going great for him too. You'd be looking at... Insects, Birds, Trees, Nature's Beautiful Order, all the Tiner books, and Novare Earth Science for 7th grade.

Trees in a real step up from Insects and Birds because of the math but I thought to mention that one specifically because you mentioned being prepared for a big biology text and I think Trees is a great intro to Bio. We didn't go that way, but you could. 

Here is a link about MP's approach. 

This really does look like more her speed.   I can see her enjoying it a lot more than Apologia General Science.  I do understand their philosophy but it really goes against everything I ever did with my kids in the past.  It's not rigorous. But having my kids in the public school has really shown me how I can relax quite a bit and still be ahead.  She loves science in general and I don't want to squash that.  I have a Tiner book already but it's the physics one and I think it's a bit much for her.  If I could get her just studying nature, she would be a happy kid.  I'm assuming you would complete two sets?

[kristin0713]

I actually used two of the Apologia Zoology books for my DD for 8th, Swimming Creatures and Land Animals.  She wanted to do marine bio and zoology and there was nothing that really fit that, so I took those as spines (one each semester) and beefed them up with extra research and writing. It was a really nice science year for her that she enjoyed.  I used these worksheets one semester as well as extra writing assignments -- http://homeschoolingisfun.com/resources/science/apologia/zoology-2/ 

For the other semester, I got the Apologia notebook, but I wasn't very happy with it.  I had her answer all the questions and do the note booking about many of the animals but If I could do it again, I would add tests.  There are actually a lot of resources available on Teachers Pay Teachers.   But really, for finishing up middle school and considering the work that she did in her other classes, it was fine for 8th grade.  Next year for 9th she will do high school bio. 

[bethben]

3 hours ago, kristin0713 said:

I actually used two of the Apologia Zoology books for my DD for 8th, Swimming Creatures and Land Animals.  She wanted to do marine bio and zoology and there was nothing that really fit that, so I took those as spines (one each semester) and beefed them up with extra research and writing. It was a really nice science year for her that she enjoyed.  I used these worksheets one semester as well as extra writing assignments -- http://homeschoolingisfun.com/resources/science/apologia/zoology-2/ 

 

This is a great idea too!

[hollyhock2]

One of mine has done two Apologia books in a year in 7th, and I will have another doing the same thing this year. It works pretty well. I do add some writing to it, too.